Closure cap



Aug. 4, 1953 H. w. SANFQRD dLosURE CAP Filed Aug. 14, 1947 y SWW/Wto?, Hu GHWSANFURD Patented ug. 4, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOSURE CAP Hugh W. Sanford, Knoxville, Tenn. Application August 14, 1947, Serial No. 768,665

1 Claim. (Cl. 215-40) This application is a continuation in part of my prior application for receptacle closures, Serial No. 521,483, filed February 7, 1944, now Patent No. 2,465,662, granted March 29, 1949.

This invention relates tu improvements in closure caps, of the character designed particularly for closing the top of a bottle, can or other receptacle, especially for carbonated beverages such as are dispensed ordinarily in bottles.

Carbonated beverages are confined in containers under pressures which are often as high as 60 to 75 pounds per square inch. It has been the practice heretofore to seal the mouth of the container for such beverages by means of a crown cap secured to the crowning ring at the open end of the neck. Such crown caps have been required because it has not been possible to obtain a suliicient sealing action by a screw cap to hold the pressure of the carbonated beverage. This was true even though a gasket be interposed between the cap and the neck of the container. It has been found that such a screw closure, when screwed on or removed by hand, would not hold a pressure greater than 20 pounds per square inch, which is considerably less than that customarily used in carbonated beverages. Furthermore, it is desirable with large containers to reseal the pressure after a partial emptying of the contents, which is not possible with a crown cap.

In my prior application on Closures, Serial No. 371,541, filed December 24, 1940, now Patent No. 2,372,227, granted March 27, 1945, I have disclosed a screw cap that may be put on by hand or manually removed and in which the pressure of the carbonated beverage itself, acting on the gasket, is utilized to increase 'the sealing action of the gasket, thereby holding against leakage the maximum internal pressure that the container itself can withstand, either wheninitially sealed or when resealed by hand.

It has been the practice in stores and other places where carbonated beverages are sold, to keep these cool by immersing the bottles or other containers in ice water in a dispensing cabinet, the bottles being manually removed as they are sold. Frequently the persons who remove the bottles plunge their hands into the ice water to lift them out. The result is that the ice water surrounding the bottles becomes polluted due to the unsanitary handling of the bottles, and yet this'polluted water comes into contact with substantially the entire outer portion of the `bottle neck, and even has access to the seal itself, located between the horizontal top surface of the container neck and the superimposed cap.

Moreover, since these sealing gaskets are somewhat porous, this pollution may extend over the top surface of the container neck to some extent. Then when the beverage is removed from the container, either by drinking directly from the neck or even when pouring it out of the neck of the container, the beverage will be polluted and unsanitary when consumed. Even if the bottle is not immersed in ice water before the beverage is consumed, the drinking neck and top gasket may become polluted by handling or by external causes.

The removable caps used heretofore for sealing carbonated beverage containers have closed only the extreme end of the neck, leaving the sides of the neck exposed to the extreme end thereof, and these are sealed at the end only by a single sealing gasket which is clamped between the cap and the end of the neck. When such bottles are immersed in ice water or handled in the ordinary way, there is nothing to prevent the contamination of the neck or from preventing the ice water from passing up under the edge of the cap until it reaches the sealing gasket. Thus, such containers have had no provision for protecting the drinking portion of the bottle neck and the pouring lip thereof from pollution.

It has been found that the closure cap will serve eifectively for closing the neck of the container, to protect the neck against contamination especially in the region of the drinking surface thereof, and also to seal the container against leakage of the carbonated beverage therefrom, by applying the closure cap over the neck and surrounding the sides thereof, while the sealing action is obtained by a gasket or sealing ring that covers the crack between the cap and the adjacent portion of the container with a surface opposite from the crack that is exposed to the pressure in the container. It is necessary that the gasket or sealing ring be pinched between the adjacent portions of the closure cap and the container to initiate the sealing action and to allow the pressure of the contents of the lcontainer to act on the surface of the sealing ring or gasket to press the latter in sealing relation over the crack.

One object of this invention is to improve the structure of the closure cap and sealing ring in cooperation with the container, to increase the effectiveness of the pinching relation on the gasket, and thereby the sealing action of the gasket over the crack, to insure aneiective sealing of the contents of the container merely by manu- V ally adjusting the cap on the container, whereby the cap may be applied or removed by hand without any special tool, and yet the contents of the container will be sealed effectively against the leakage of pressure therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to improve the structure of the closure, and particularly the connection between the closure cap and the container, to insure of a positive connection there* `between which may be sealed effectively by the action of the fluid on the gasket or sealing ring and yet may be applied or removed manually without any special tool for the purpose.

These objects may be accomplished according to certain embodiments of the invention by providing means on the closure cap in position to engage the sealing ring or gasket and causes a pinching thereof against a portion of the container to initiate the action of the uid acting on the gasket to seal the crack. A double pinching action may be obtained if desired not only by bending the gasket when engaged by the cap but also by providing a positive shoulder which will act thereon to produce an effective sealing as the internal pressure of thejcontainer acts on the opposite surface of the gasket from the crack to apply a sealing pressure thereto.

The connection of the closure cap with the container may be provided either by a screw thread or a modified adjustable turning connec tion which will insure a positive locking of the cap on the container as the cap is rotated relative thereto. The connection with the container, if desired, may be in the form of a cam action or a clamped connection, which latter can be applied without the usual clamping tool and yet it may be removed merely by hand turning in the usual way.

These embodiments of the invention are .illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged vertical section through a bottle neck having a screw cap thereon in sealed relation.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the cap partly removed in unsealed relation.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to 1 showing a modified form of connectionbetween the cap and bottle.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 of the modied form.

This closure cap is adapted for useon various types of containers for carbonated beverages, such as fora neck portion through which the contents may be discharged, although it is shown as applied to a glass bottle of the character usually employed for this purpose. The bottle has the usual neck I of elongated form and termin-ating in an open mouth through `which the beverage may be discharged either by pouring or` drinking directly from the mouth of the container. The size of the container is considerably exaggerated in the drawings for purpose of illustration, but the container would be vof the size usually employed for this purpose. The open end of the mouth of the neck is shown as formed in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the bottle, but .should be rounded off somewhat to facilitate sealing and discharge of thecontents.

The periphery of the neck I is formed with an outwardly extending shoulder 2 spaced an appreciable distance downward from the mouth of the neck, as shown in Figs. l and 2. Above the shoulder 2, the periphery of the neck I is extern nally screw-threaded lat 3 to receive a screw cap thereon, the screw-threads being shown kas preferable form of rotational Wedging means, other forms of which may be substituted therefor, if desired. The screw-'threads should extend preferably through one or more convolutions about the neck of the container, suiiicient to provide a leverage for adjustably securing the cap on the container, but the upper end of the' thread preferably terminates at a point spaced downwardly from the mouth of vthe neck, usually a distance of at least Ione-eighth*inch, to 'provide a smooth peripheral surface 4l 'on-the upper end 4 of the neck below the mouth edge thereof', which is indicated at 5. This provides a smooth drinking and pouring edge or surface, uninterrupted by threads.

The closure cap is designated 6 .and is shown as of drawn or rolled metal, although it may be constructed of any other suitable material, such as plastics or other molded or formed products. The cap 6 has a cylindrical side wall 'I adapted to extend downward over the neck I and is intern nally threaded at 8 for adjustable connection with the threads 3 on the neck I. The lower edge of the side wall 'I of the cap terminates in an outwardly and downwardly extending skirt 9 spaced from the periphery of the neck I at a point above the shoulder 2, leaving an open crack I0 between the skirt andthe shoulder.

The skirt 9 isshown in Figs. 1 and`2 as flared with respect to the cylindrical side wall 1 of the cap 6 and joins the side wall by a tapered or conical portion I I. This conical portion overlaps the outwardly extending shoulder 2 that is formed on the neck I of the bottle, and is spaced thereabove even when the closure cap is in sealed relation on the neck.

A gasket or sealing ring is designated generally at I2, normally of the shape shown in Fig.. This gasket or sealing ring is seated' upon the shoulder 2 of the container neck I and is shown as angular in cross section to provide an upstanding flange that may be utilized for effecting sealing of the crack I0. The inner edge of the gasket or sealing ring I2 is received in an annular groove I3 provided at the periphery of the neck I immediately above the seat 2.

The gasket l2 preferably is constructed or formed of ilexible material which. should be somewhat resilient, such as soft rubber or yieldable material which will allow the gasket to flex and expand in response to the internal pressure acting against the sides of the V-shaped cross section of the gasket provides dverging sides against which the pressure may act normal to the surfaces thereof .to press the sides `of the gasket over the adjacent portions of the cap and container on opposite sides of the crack I0 and accomplish an elective sealing of the crack due to the action thereof of the internal pressure inthe container.

The screw threaded connection at -3, 8 may be made sufliciently loose so as to allow the fluid pressure from within the container to leak past this connection into pressure relation with-the sides of the gasket I2 to expand these sides respectively against the shoulder 2 and conical portion I I. Thus the pressure of the fluid which acts in a direction perpendicular to the surface acted on will be effective to seal the crack byfpressing the gasket in sealing relation over opposite sides of the crack.

This sealing action will be initiated as soon as the cap is screwed lonto the container, in this form, sufficiently for the gasket l2 to be pinched between the cap and the container.. 'Such a pinch-ing action is startedl initially by the -deiiecting of the upright ange of the V-shaped gasket from the position shown in Fig. 2` toward the vposition shown in Fig. 1 when this iiange 4is -engaged by the conical portion Il `of the cap. vA further pinching .action is provided, howevenfby an internal shoulder .shown .at I4 in Figs. land 2 which is formed by the .buckling orcrimping of the wall of the conical portion I vI .of the cap. This shoulder AI4 makes a more positive Apinching action than is obtained bythe mere bending of the vertical ange of 'the gasket, and .insures a positive pinching sufficient to set up the sealing action in response to the action of the fluid on the sides of the gasket.

It is preferred that the gasket I2 be formed of soft rubber or other suitable resilient material, and which will last through many uses and withstand the usual cleaning processes without damage or requiring removal. The elasticity of such a gasket enables it to be applied over the neck of the bottle or other container :and to be received within the annular groove I3 so as to be retained thereby on the neck for repeated use, making it unnecessary for the user of the container to supply a new gasket each time the container is used.

Furthermore, this gasket preferably is formed of a relatively thin section so as to be readily expandable over opposite sides of the crack IIJ by the action of the internal pressu-re in the container. Thus, it will seal effectively against the leakage of pressure. Such sealing action will hold any pressure that the container itself and the clo-sure will hold, namely any pressure normally confined in such beverage bottles or containers.

Moreover, the location of the gasket at a relatively low point on the neck of the container serves not only to seal the closure cap against leakage from within the container, but it also prevents the entrance of water or other foreign substances into the cap or to the region of the external surface of the container neck that normally forms a drinking surface, thereby preventing a contamination of this drinking surface by ice water or other impurities that may otherwise nd laccess thereto.

By the use of such Ia closure cap, this can be applied or removed by hand, without any particular tool or implement other than the fingers of the operator. It is also possible for the user to reseal the contents of the container in the same manner for later use without any appreciable loss `of carbonated gas that may be contained therein. It is sufficient to apply and secure the cap by hand, since the sealing of the maximum pressure is established by the pressure within the container acting on the sealing ring or gasket when the cap is screwed down on the container. The cap is removable readily under any ordinary carbonated beverage pressures usually encountered even as high as 100 lbs. per square inch, although the pressures most often used 'are from 60 to 15 lbs. per square inch.

As soon as the upright flange of the gasket is engaged in pinching relation by the 4adjustable securing of the cap on the neck of the container, this pinching action will be started by the inward deflection of this upright flange in engagement with the conical portion II of the closure cap. Further pinching action will be provided by the engagement of the edge of the flange by the inner shoulder I4 formed in the conical portion and will insure of effective sealing of the gasket over the crack by the action of the pressure therein.

In the -form lshown in Figs. 1 and 2, the screw connection at 3, 8 is with the upper portion of the neck, although the connection may be made with the lower portion thereof if desired, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In this form, the bottle 2I has a flange 22 upon which the gasket 23 is seated. The cap 24 has a screw threaded portion 25 formed in the skirt thereof below the gasket in position for screw threaded engagement with the periphery of the flange 22. The parts otherwise are constructed and function ysubstantially as de- 6 scribed above. This disposition of the connection between the closure cap and the container has the advantage that it leaves the upper portion of the bottle neck smooth and unobstructed to form an `extended drinking surface.

In the forms shown in Figs. 1 to 4, in which a gasket that is substantially V-shaped in cross section is used, this gasket will produce a radial check valve action that will increase the sealing effect in holding the pressure in the container. This check valve `action is initiated by the initial pinching applied to a fiange of the cup-washer form of gasket in the adjustable interlocking of the cap with the neck. This check valve action is effective in sealing the exit crack between the crack and the container.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in certain embodiments, it is Vrecognized that variations and changes maybe made therein without departing from the invention eX- Icept as specified in the claim.

I claim:

In a container for fluids under pressure, comprising a pouring neck having a, fluid discharge opening, 'integral screw threads on the container spaced from the opening, a closure cap for said opening and having a depending portion surrounding said neck with means thereon engaging the screw threads for adjustably interlocking the cap on the container, said neck having an upwardly facing peripheral `abutment shoulder thereon with a crack between said depending portion and the shoulder, a sealing ring overlapping said crack in unbroken contact with said abutment shoulder and said depending portion of the cap in position to be pinched therebetween ywhen the cap is in locked position on the container and in position for sealing the crack against the leakage of fluid pressure therethrough, said sealing ring having an inner surface on the opposite side of the ring from the crack in open communication with the interior of the container and in position for action thereon of the fluid pressure to press the sealing ring over the contact portions of the shoulder and ca'p on opposite sides of the crack, said sealing ring having an upstanding flange on the outer periphery thereof, said closure cap having a conical portion in position to engage said flange during screw adjustment of the cap on the container, said depending portion having an internal rib on the conical'portion projecting inwardly from the surface thereof less than the thickness of the flange on the sealing ring to start the sealing action.

HUGH W. SANFORD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 28,413 Sellers May 22, 1860 781,702 Waugh Feb. 7, 1905 816,513 Thatcher Mar. 27, 1906 1,625,963 lSnyder Apr. 26, 1927 1,813,949 Podel July 14, 1931 2,339,702 Isele Jan. 18, 1944 2,372,227 'Sanford Mar. 27, 1945 2,404,410 Smith July 23, 1946 2,465,662 Sanford Mar. 29, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 367,069 France Oct. 19, 1906 

